Judges 18

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. Now in those days the tribe of Dan was in search of aterritory to live in, for until then no territory had fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.	1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for unto that day they had not received their lot among the other tribes.
2 From their clan the Danites sent five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol to reconnoitre the country andexplore it. They said to them, 'Go and explore the country.' The five men came to the highlands of Ephraim, asfar as Micah's house, and spent the night there.	2 So the children of Dan sent five most valiant men of their stock and family from Saraa and Esthaol, to spy out the land, and to view it diligently: and they said to them: Go, and view the land. They went on their way, and when they came to mount Ephraim, they went into the house of Michas, and rested there:
3 When they were near Micah's house, they recognised the voice of the young Levite and, going nearer,said to him, 'Who brought you here? What are you doing here? What is keeping you here?'	3 And knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and lodging with him, they said to him: Who brought thee hither? what dost thou here? why wouldst thou come hither?
4 He replied, 'Micah has made certain arrangements with me. He pays me a wage and I act as hispriest.'	4 He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things for me, and hath hired me to be his priest.
5 They replied, 'Then consult God, so that we may know whether the journey we are on wil lead tosuccess.'	5 Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have effect.
6 The priest replied, 'Go in peace; Yahweh is watching over your journey.'	6 He answered them: Go in peace, the Lord looketh on your way, and the journey that you go.
7 The five men then left and, arriving at Laish, saw that the people living there had an untroubledexistence, according to the customs of the Sidonians, peaceful and trusting, that there was no lack or shortageof any sort in the territory, that they were a long way away from the Sidonians and that they had no contact withthe Aramaeans.	7 So the five men going on came to Lais: and they saw how the people dwelt therein without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and easy, having no man at all to oppose them, being very rich, and living separated, at a distance from Sidon and from all men.
8 They then went back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol and, when the latter asked them, 'Whathave you to report?'	8 And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol, who asked them what they had done? to whom they answered:
9 they said, 'Up! we must go against them, since we have looked at the country and it is excellent,though you take no action! Waste no time in setting out and taking possession of the country.	9 Arise, and let us go up to them: for we have seen the land which is exceeding rich and fruitful: neglect not, lose no time: let us go and possess it, there will be no difficulty.
10 When you get there, you wil find a trusting people. The country is wide, and God has put it at yourmercy. It is a place where there is no lack of anything on earth.'	10 We shall come to a people that is secure, into a spacious country, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, in which there is no want of any thing that groweth on the earth.
11 From these places, consequently, from the clan of Danites at Zorah and Eshtaol, six hundred men setout equipped for war.	11 There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit, from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with arms for war,
12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-Jearim in Judah; and for this reason the place is stil cal ed theCamp of Dan today. It lies to the west of Kiriath-Jearim.	12 And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place from that time is called the camp of Dan, and is behind Cariathiarim.
13 From there they entered the highlands of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.	13 From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were come to the house of Michas,
14 The five men who had been to reconnoitre the country then spoke to their brothers. 'Do you know',they said, 'that in these houses there is an ephod, some domestic images, a carved statue and an idol cast inmetal? So now work out what you have got to do!'	14 The five men, that before had been sent to view the land of Lais, said to the rest of their brethren: You know that in these houses there is an ephod, and theraphim, and a graven, and a molten god: see what you are pleased to do.
15 So, turning off the road, they went to the young Levite's dwelling, to Micah's house, and greeted himpeaceful y.	15 And when they had turned a little aside, they went into the house of the young man the Levite, who was in the house of Michas: and they saluted him with words of peace.
16 While the six hundred men of the Danites, equipped for war, stood at the threshold of the gate,	16 And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed with their arms.
17 the five who had been to reconnoitre the country went on into the house and took the carved statue,the ephod, the domestic images and the idol cast in metal; meanwhile the priest remained at the threshold of thegate with the six hundred men equipped for war.	17 But they that were gone into the house of the young man, went about to take away the graven god, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred valiant men waiting not far off.
18 These men, having entered Micah's house, took the carved statue, the ephod, the domestic imagesand the idol cast in metal. The priest, however, said, 'What are you doing?'	18 So they that were gone in took away the graven thing, the ephod, and the idols, and the molten god. And the priest said to them: What are you doing?
19 'Be quiet,' they replied. 'Put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and become our father andpriest. Are you better off as domestic priest to one man, or as priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?'	19 And they said to him: Hold thy peace and put thy finger on thy mouth and come with us, that we may have thee for a father, and a priest. Whether is better for thee, to be a priest in the house of one man, or in a tribe and family in Israel?
20 The priest was delighted; he took the ephod, the domestic images and the carved statue, and wentoff among the people.	20 When he had heard this, he agreed to their words, and took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven god, and departed with them.
21 Resuming their original line of march, they set off, having put the women, children, livestock andbaggage out in front.	21 And when they were going forward, and had put before them the children and the cattle and all that was valuable,
22 They had gone some distance from Micah's house, when the people living in the houses near Micah'shouse raised the alarm and set off in pursuit of the Danites.	22 And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them,
23 As they shouted after the Danites, the latter, turning about, said to Micah, 'What is the matter withyou, that you are shouting like this?'	23 And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry?
24 He replied, 'You have taken away my god, which I have had made, and the priest as wel . You aregoing away, and what have I got left? And now you ask me, "What is the matter?" '	24 And he answered: You have taken away my gods which I have made me and the priest, and all that I have, and do you say: What aileth thee?
25 The Danites said, 'Let us hear no more from you, or quick-tempered men may set about you, and thismight cost you your life and the lives of your family!'	25 And the children of Dan said to him: See thou say no more to us, lest men enraged come upon thee, and thou perish with all thy house.
26 So the Danites went on their way; and Micah, seeing that they were the stronger, turned and wenthome.	26 And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house.
27 So, having taken the god made by Micah, and the priest who had been his, the Danites marched onLaish, on a peaceful and trusting people. They put it to the sword and they burned down the town.	27 And the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we spoke of before, and came to Lais to a people that was quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword: and the city was burnt with fire,
28 There was no one to come to the rescue, since it was a long way from Sidon and had no contact withthe Aramaeans. It lay in the valley running towards Beth-Rehob. They rebuilt the town and settled in it	28 There being no man at all who brought them any succour, because they dwelt far from Sidon, and had no society or business with any man. And the city was in the land of Rohob: and they rebuilt it and dwelt therein.
29 and cal ed it Dan, from the name of Dan their ancestor who had been born to Israel; original y,however, the town had been called Laish.	29 Calling the name of the city Dan after the name of their father, who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais.
30 The Danites erected the carved statue for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, andhis sons after him were priests for the tribe of Dan til the day when the inhabitants of the country were carriedaway into exile.	30 And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan the son of Gersam the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests in the tribe of Dan, until the day of their captivity.
31 The carved statue made by Micah they instal ed for their own use, and there it stayed as long as thehouse of God remained at Shiloh.	31 And the idol of Michas remained with them all the time that the house of God was in Silo. In those days there was no king in Israel.